NextWave Design Management

Flexible Design Management Consultancy for Contractors, Developers, and Design Consultants

Shaping Projects, Streamlining Delivery

How We Can Help

Michael Cartwright created the business to offer a highly flexible Design Management Consultancy service to contractors, developers, and design consultants. Appointments can be tailored to provide as much or as little support as needed at any stage of the project lifecycle, allowing businesses to access specialist guidance exactly when and where it is required.

At NextWave, we provide hands-on Design Management and technical expertise gained from over 30 years of experience in design, construction, and development environments.

Our experience involves the delivery of projects of every scale and complexity across a diverse range of sectors, providing proven design management services that support successful project outcomes.

Operating across all stages of project delivery – from site acquisition and feasibility through to development, delivery, and post-completion – we are accustomed to quickly embedding ourselves within project teams and we understand the dynamics required to communicate effectively.

As a highly process-driven professional, Michael has shaped our approach by modernising traditional design and project management systems, processes, and procedures to streamline project delivery, helping contractors, developers, design consultants, and clients realise design intent, manage risk, and maximise value.

Our bespoke cloud-based systems consolidate programmes, information release schedules, documents, and communications into a single source of truth, ensuring efficiency, accountability, and clarity from concept to completion.

The Role of Design Management

Design is one of the most influential drivers of project outcomes, but also one of the hardest to control. As an inherently iterative process, it evolves constantly, introducing new decisions, risks, and coordination demands. Without clear leadership, this can result in delays, cost escalation, rework, and fragmented decision-making. At NextWave Design management we provide the structure, clarity, and collaboration needed to manage this complexity. By aligning design intent with commercial, technical, and programme priorities, we aim to reduce risk, increase certainty, and enable faster, more coordinated delivery. For developers, contractors, and consultants, effective design management adds measurable value – protecting the brief, strengthening decisions, and supporting confident project delivery.

Controls Design change to protect programme and cost
Prevents scope gaps through clear responsibilities and deliverable management
Improves coordination between disciplines, stakeholders, and packages
De-risks planning with proactive compliance and early issue identification

Strengthens decision-making through structured reviews and documentation
Enhances buildability by aligning design with construction methodology
Improves information flow with efficient processes
Reduces rework by identifying clashes and inconsistencies early

Sectors We Serve

With decades of experience across a diverse range of sectors, we understand the technical, commercial, and regulatory demands that shape different project environments. This broad, cross-sector knowledge enables us to anticipate risks, streamline coordination, and deliver focused, effective design management support. Our well-rounded perspective ensures we tailor our approach to the unique requirements of each project, regardless of scale or complexity.

Residential

Education

Healthcare

Retail & Leisure

Commercial

Stadia

Transportation

Industrial

Development Types

Our experience extends across all major development types, from new build housing and mixed-use schemes to complex refurbishments, conversions, and fit-outs. This breadth of delivery experience enables us to understand the distinct technical and coordination challenges each development type presents. Whether navigating the constraints of existing structures or driving efficiency on new build housing programs, we apply proven design management processes that ensure clarity, control, and well-coordinated project outcomes.

New Build

Demolition & Redevelopment

Conversions

Extensions

Refurbishments

Fit-Out & Reconfiguration

Project Stages We Support

Delivering Value Across the Project Lifecycle

We deliver value across the full project lifecycle and can be appointed at any point to suit your requirements. Whether you need targeted support for a specific stage or continuous involvement from start to finish, our flexible approach ensures the right level of design management expertise is available exactly when it’s needed.

Our Design Management Solutions

Design management helps resolve the issues that commonly disrupt projects. Below is a selection of typical challenges and the structured solutions we apply to bring clarity, reduce risk, and strengthen project delivery.

Typical Project Challenges

Programme Delays
Unclear Consultant Responsibilities
Quality Issues
Buildability Issues
Late Design Changes
Budget Misalignment

Stakeholder Communication Issues
Planning & Building Control Risks
Subcontractor Design Scope Gaps
Fragmented Design Information
Lack of awareness of required design, survey, and investigation needs
Poor Coordination

Our Solutions

Project Planning & Strategy

Planning Validation Requirements & Compliance Checking
Establish design delivery strategy and governance structure
Identify technical, statutory, planning, and performance requirements
Ensure early understanding of site constraints, feasibility studies, & due diligence
Identify early design risks and opportunities

Tendering & Appointments

Define required disciplines and specialist consultants
Support with consultant selection, scoping, and appointments
Contractors and Consultants tender support including frameworks

We use a cloud based project management system to develop and manage a fully integrated Design Programme, Information Release Schedule (IRS) & Design Responsibility Matrix.

Development & Pre-Construction

Integrated Design Programme
Information Release Schedule (IRS)
Link design tasks to procurement, cost planning, and planning submission timelines
Design Responsibility Matrix (DRM)
Define sub-constractor and specialist design scope, deliverables, and interfaces
Multi-Discipline Workshops
Centralised Communication
Decision Tracking

We use a cloud based project management system to develop and manage a fully integrated Design Programme, Information Release Schedule (IRS) & Design Responsibility Matrix.

With over 30 years of experience in design and construction we understand that effective communication is key to ensuring complexities, interfaces and inter-dependencies are openly discussed and challenges resolved. Our intuitive project management tools track design changes for every package to maintain the Golden Thread of information.

Construction & Procurement

Information Release Schedule (IRS)
Design Responsibility Matrix (DRM)

We use a cloud based project management system to develop and manage a fully integrated Design Programme, Information Release Schedule (IRS) & Design Responsibility Matrix.

Multi-Discipline Workshops
Decision Tracking
Centralised Communication